Of all fishing accessories, fishing rigs with wire or monofilament leaders have long been dificult to store and to transport. Due to the physical consistency of the leaders, two dificult problems can arise. First, the leaders often become entagled into "bird nest" formations if not securely coiled or held immobile. Second, the wire leaders often become bent or kinked which makes them no longer useful. As a result, considerable time and fishing opportunity has been lost in untangling and replacing leaders.
Previously, fishing accessories have normally been carried by a fisherman in a tackle box. However, a tackle box does not prevent the fishing rigs from becoming tangled. Furthermore, fishermen frequently find it necessary to replace or change the type of fishing rig to cope with a particular situation. Such changes or replacements result in lost fishing opportunity because the tackle box is relatively inaccessible.
A fishing rig holder would eliminate the above-mentioned problems associated with the storage of fishing rigs and perform a number of most important functions for the sportsman. The holder should not only be lightweight and portable, but must be of such structure and design as to permit fishing rigs to be easily mounted on or removed therefrom. In addition, and of paramount importance, the holder should store the rigs in an extended position.
In the past, various devices have been designed to provide a means by which fishing rigs with wire or monofilament leaders can be stored or transported. These prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 742,040 which has spring coils to secure the fishing rigs. U.S. Pat. No. 2,525,057 discloses a holder which crimps the hooks between the main body and head closure. U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,721 discloses a holder with staggered slots with headed bolts which receive the knot of the fishing rig. U.S. Pat. No. 2,804,717 discloses a holder with teeth on one end to receive the knot and springs on the other end to receive the hook of the fishing rig. U.S. Pat. No. 2,826,856 discloses a holder with bores on one end for receiving fishing hooks and slits on the other end for receiving the knot and a rubber band for holding the knot end securely against the holder. U.S. Pat. No. 2,917,862 discloses a multi-purpose device for fishing accessories with notches on one end and slits on the other end. U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,564 discloses a tube made of foamed polyethylene in which fish hooks can be inserted. U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,168 discloses a holder with a lining of styrofoam or cork to provide floatation. U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,834 discloses a holder with rows of hooks which stick out of the tube that receive the knot of the fishing rig. Each of these devices has had one or more inherent operational disadvantages whereby their widespread use is restricted.
The present invention has significant advantages over those shown in the prior art in that the present invention has grooves on both ends of a main body in which the fishing rigs may be attached. The grooves keep each fishing rig separate and prevent the rigs from sliding around the main body of the holder thereby becoming tangled. The grooves further make it easy to attach and remove fishing rigs from the holder. The present invention is capable of accommodating fishing rigs of different lengths. The main body can be adjusted in length by extendable members which fit together in an end-to-end relationship. The present invention is constructed from non-corrosive low density material which will float if inadvertently dropped into the water.
These and other advantages of the invention over the prior fishing rig holders will become more apparent after reading the Description and Claims which follow.